Cabinet’s approval brings municipal body closer
November 21st, 2007 4:13 pm | News | cedric | 29 Views|
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AIZOL TIMES
Aizawl Nov 20: A collective sigh of relief must have gone out of those who had fought tooth and nail for the implementation of a municipal local body in the state when the Cabinet announced its approval of the draft rules for The Mizoram Municipalities (Delimitation of Wards) Rules 2007 and The Mizoram Municipalities (Election of Councilors) Rules 2007 yesterday.
However, these rules do not mean that municipalities will crop up in the state immediately. “There still many things to be carried out like for instance setting up of commissions for finance and elections. Without these two commissions, it will not be possible to hold elections to the municipal bodies which will be set up in Aizawl and other district capitals,” Zarzoenga, deputy director, Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation said today.
When asked for copies of the two rules that the cabinet had approved, the official said it was not possible at this time because it would have to be published first in the Mizoram Gazette. “I have no idea at all whether any changes had been made at the upper strata of government to the rules that we had submitted. So it would be a little premature for me to hand out the draft rules because changes could have been made,” Zarzoenga said at his office today.
He also could not say how many wards the Aizawl Municipal body would have and said this will be known only when the government notifies it.
When questioned about the time period that would be needed to set up the election and finance commissions, another official Lalringa said avenues are being explored where personnel from the Deputy Commissioner’s Election Branch could be deputed for the State Election Commission and their electoral rolls used and if a possibility exists, this particular commission could be set to work in a matter of a few weeks.
In September, the UD&PA department had sounded very optimistic in bringing the whole process to readiness by November but this has become very unlikely with two commissions yet to be established by the state government and calendar having moved towards the end of November. However, the department officials today said since the Mizoram Municipalities Act 2007 envisages establishment of municipal bodies within a year of the Act being passed, everything needs to be done to see that municipal bodies are elected as expeditiously as possible.
Aizawl, with more than 1.5 lakhs population but less than 5 lakhs will have a municipal council with not less than 11 wards and not more than 23. Lunglei, Mamit, Kolasib, Serchhip and Champhai, all having less than 1.5 lakhs population, will have municipal boards with not less than five, but not more than nine wards.
District capitals of Lawngtlai and Saiha districts are not covered by the Municipal Act because they are under the autonomous district council areas under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Meanwhile, the Mizoram Municipal Steering Committee, an NGO that had been demanding a constitutional urban local body in the state for ten years is not very optimistic about the state government setting up a municipality in the state within a year from the Act being passed by the Assembly.
“The process is still a long way from being completed and I very much doubt whether the state can adhere to the timetable it has given itself. When wards are notified or the area the urban local body would look after, public hearings have to be conducted without which no area can be defined as within the purview of an urban local body. These things can take a long time and could prevent the government from meeting its own deadline,” Vanlalruata, MMSC general secretary said.
He, however, was quick to say that his organization was grateful that the state government is taking the necessary steps towards fulfilling the MMSC’s dreams of a municipal body in the state and that they are willing to help in any they can to expedite the process.
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